Pixel 9 to Have Better OLED Screen Than Galaxy S24 Series

Google has confirmed it will announce its new generation of Pixel phones earlier than usual, with the unveiling scheduled for Aug. 13. However, the leaks continue unabated. The latest tidbit says that Google will not skimp on the display tech this year. Sources claim the Pixel 9 will have Samsung’s latest and greatest OLEDs, surpassing even the Galaxy S24 family.

Google switched to OLED screens for its flagship phones even before the first Pixel phones launched in 2016, but it was always a few generations behind Samsung. Displays are often the most expensive component of a smartphone, and Samsung is the world’s leading manufacturer of OLED panels. So, it can always include high-end screens in the Galaxy S series, but other OEMs need to pay through the nose.

The current Pixel 8 family took a big step in the display department, with peak brightness and lifespan that matched the latest Samsung phones. According to ET News, Google will adopt Samsung’s M14 OLED panels for the Pixel 9. The Galaxy S24 family uses the older M13 OLEDs, which are dimmer and less durable than M14. So, at least by those measures, the next Pixel phones will have better displays than Samsung’s current flagship phones.

Credit: Ryan Whitwam

A higher peak brightness will make M14 OLEDs more readable outdoors, but there’s more to display quality than the capabilities of the panel. For example, Samsung phones have firmware customizations that can boost contrast at high and low brightness, making the screen easier to read in those conditions. Other OEMs, including Google, don’t have the same display capabilities. There’s also the glass covering the screen. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is the first phone to have the new Gorilla Glass Armor, which has an anti-reflective coating that reduces glare in bright conditions. The Pixels will be more reflective unless they, too, have that feature independent of the display upgrade.

The report claims M14 OLEDs are coming to the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and the still-mysterious Pixel Fold 2. Google is launching its Pixel phones earlier than usual this year, so it may have that advantage longer. Samsung will inevitably release the Galaxy S25 family early next year, and as always, they will use the latest OLED tech. Google used to release Pixel phones in late October, which was awfully close to Samsung Galaxy season. Perhaps the revamped 2024 schedule and class-leading screens will help Google grow the Pixel brand. We’ll have a better idea after the launch event next month.